Le Domaine du Moulin Cuveé ‘Le Domaine’ Cheverny Rouge 2010

One of the places I was enthusiastic to visit whilst in London was Terriors. A natural wine bar, Terriors's philosophy is to serve “great food and great wine sourced with an eager eye for provenance”. They highlight artisan wines free of additives and that are produced in a way that is sensitive to the environment. With a focus on France and Italy, the wine menu strives to offer bottles that “reflect the place from which they originate, the nature of the vintage itself and the personality of the grower”. Needless to say, I could return here every night! With nearly 30 pages of tempting bottles, I didn’t know if I would be able to narrow down my choices. Ultimately I decided to select a blend that I can't recall having before, Pinot Noir and Gamay; Le Domaine du Moulin Cuveé ‘Le Domaine’ Cheverny Rouge 2010.

Hervé Villemade’s domain is a family estate consisting of 25 hectares over 3 communes  located in the heart of the Cheverny appellation, on the left bank of the Beuvron River in Cellettes. Hervé and his sister Isabelle took over operations from their father, the vineyards were farmed conventionally. Dissatisfied with the wines, Hervé began farming organic in 2000 and immediately noticed an improvement in soil and wine. In addition to the organic treatment of the grapes, they are manually harvested and selected on the vine; in the cellar he uses minimal to no sulphur additions, he learned how to keep the CO2 in the wine during the cold winter months thereby protecting it without adding sulphur. Wanting people to drink his wines and enjoy them, Hervé is not a fan of categorizations, he believes that organic and natural production methods allow him to create wines with clean grapes, that reflect his personality and speak for themselves.

Light ruby red in colour, aromas of black olive, bergamot and earthy farmyard swirled about in the glass. Tart cherry, lively pomegranate and raspberry flavours were supported by earthy, flinty soil elements and silky smooth tannins in the light to medium body. Spicy white pepper and dried rosemary comprised the moderate, cleansing finish. Well balanced and focused, this is an energetic glass abounding with fruit, earth and spice that keeps you reaching for more.

50% Pinot Noir, 50% Gamay

Cheverny/Vin du Val de Loire
France
Bottled by Hervé Villemade
12% Alcohol
$20 [average price]
Enjoy now thru 2015